Mario Kart 64 (N64)

Learn About the Game Mario Kart 64 (N64)

Mario Kart 64 still feels like the ultimate living room showdown, even decades after it first hit the N64. You pick your favorite Nintendo character—whether that’s the speedy Yoshi, the hulking Bowser, or the ever-classy Princess Peach—and dive into a race that’s part skill sprint, part chaotic mayhem. The graphics might look a bit blocky today, but those colorful tracks and the distinctive blur of motion when you hit that final stretch? Pure nostalgia gold.

What really makes this game sing is the way it balances friendly competition with absolute chaos. You’re speeding around the circuit, minding your own business, when suddenly someone fires a blue shell and you’re sent flying off the track. Then you’re scrambling to recover before the pack zooms past, cursing your friends in the best possible way. The item boxes scattered across every course keep everything unpredictable—mushrooms for speed boosts, banana peels for hilarious slip-ups, and that dreaded lightning bolt that shrinks everyone but the thrower.

The tracks themselves are memorable characters in their own right. Who can forget trying to land jumps on Royal Raceway without slamming into the water, or navigating the anti-gravity loop-de-loop of Bowser’s Castle? Each circuit has its own personality, whether it’s the rustic charm of Moo Moo Farm or the dizzying height of Rainbow Road. You can’t help but grin every time you beat a tough shortcut or finally master the timing on a hairpin turn.

And if you’re playing in multiplayer, then really—you’re in for a night of laughter, friendly trash talk, and maybe a few sore losers. There’s something about gathering around a single TV with your buddies, controllers in hand, that just can’t be beat. Even if you’re playing solo against the CPUs, there’s a warm, cheesy thrill to be had in beating your own best times. Mario Kart 64 isn’t just a game; it’s a tradition.